Weekly Seed of Faith 10/9/20

Dear Faithful and Fearless Seed-Sowers,

First of all, I truly believe that God will make us faithful and fearless seed sowers during this corona-virus epidemic. Life has changed.  Sowing seeds of faith has changed. I pray God is creating you more faith and less fear!

We are still digging deeply into the well at Sychar in Samaria. Maybe during this time of anxiety from the pandemic you might be experiencing a little bit of feeling spiritually empty. If so, come along on our journey and drink from the well that promises to spring up to eternal life. I encourage to take a few minutes this week and read John 4:1-26; as you read, put yourself into the story. Don’t just enter the story once, put yourself into all of the characters.  They all have a viewpoint and a story to tell from the well and Jesus promises us that, if we drink, we will never thirst again!

Let me set the stage.  Around 722-721 B.C. the Northern Kingdom of Israel fell to the Assyrian army.  The king of Assyria deported many of the Jewish people and transplanted foreigners to live in the Northern Kingdom of Israel.  These foreigners intermarried with the Jewish people and the races became mixed.  This land was called “Samaria”, the people were called “Samaritans.”  When the Southern Kingdom fell to the Babylonians in 586 many of the remining Jewish people remained behind and longed for the return of God’s kingdom.  Finally, after 70 years of captivity, the Jewish people started returning under Ezra, a scribe, and Nehemiah, the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes. The people banded together rebuild the walls and they also started to rebuild the temple. The returning Jewish people now viewed the “Samaritans” as political rebels, racial half-breeds and religious people who worshiped the many Gods of the foreigners along with the One True God — Yahweh!  Their prejudices were mighty and many!

This surprise encounter with Jesus at the well confronted all of the prejudices this woman held.  First, she was a Samaritan. Samaritans and Jewish people had nothing to do with each other. Second, she was a woman.  Men did not talk to women in that culture. Third, she had been with many different “husbands” and she was a sinner. Any righteous, religious person would never have anything to do with a sinner like this woman. Fourth, her place of worship was there at the well of Jacob, the Jewish people worshiped at the temple in Jerusalem. Did you hear the prejudices? Racial prejudices, social prejudices, moral prejudices, and religious prejudices are all confronted in this story found in John 4.

Maybe an early “so what?” question for us today is, “Where does Jesus surprise you with your prejudices?”

“What if Jesus met me at Jacob’s well this Sunday morning?” I’m serious, what if you were dressed just like you are right now, and what if you had gone to the grocery store: Staters, Vons, Ralphs, Sprouts or your own favorite, grocery store? On your shopping list is: WATER! Go to the well to get water and,,, Jesus meets you there? Holy cow! (This is what I call “putting yourself into the story!”)

Am I spiritually empty? Maybe that is a good “so what?” question during this season of our lives. Some of us are totally running on empty while others of us seem to be coasting along okay but we do hit a few bumps here and there. The truth is we are all like this woman at the well.  At one time or another we’ve all become empty. It’s true; we become empty with the things this world has to offer.  We become lost when we follow our own will and go our own way and we don’t leave any room for God to surprise us.

The real truth is, we all long to be spiritually filled.

What I find interesting in this story is that woman at the well had most likely heard of the prophets and their prophecies.

Listen to just four of these prophecies:

“On that day, a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.” Zechariah 13:1

“On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter.” Zechariah 14:8

“For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.” Isaiah 44:3

“With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” Isaiah 12:3

I wonder if this unnamed Samaritan woman had grown up reciting, singing, and memorizing the Psalms?

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” Psalm 42:1-3

But somewhere along her way, she forgot those words and she began to drink from other wells.

This Samaritan outcast came to the well in the middle of the day in order to be alone. She wanted to be away from the ridicule, scorn, mockery, shame, and guilt she felt from the other women and the rest of the people of Sychar.  She was spiritually empty.  Spiritually bankrupt. Can you go with her to the well? It’s the middle of the day. It is burning hot. And there she is dragging her empty containers with her. The woman was empty. She was not expecting God to meet her at the well.  She was not expecting a surprise from God. She was expecting that she would go, get her water, and go home. Everyone else had already gotten their water. Sneak in, sneak out in the middle of the heat of the day.

Do you ever do anything like this? Do you look in the mirror and say, “Don’t go to the store now, you might run into someone you know. Wait til just before the store closes.” And at 9:50 pm, you put on your hat and sunglasses and pull your jacket up to cover your face, you keep your head down and enter the store. Ever been there?

Okay. Now imagine Jesus meeting you at whatever aisle you are shopping in. Right.  You need tomato sauce? There’s Jesus.  You need milk? There’s Jesus.

Jesus meets this woman right where she is.  Jesus meets her in the middle of her shame, guilt, fear, doubt and even in her hiding.

Are you empty?  Are you worried and troubled by many things?  Maybe you think you cannot go one more day or walk one more mile with the burden you are carrying. The truth is that Jesus will meet you no matter where you are, no matter what you have done.

At first meeting, the woman misses Jesus, she misses the living water. Why?  She was spiritually empty and spiritually lost.

So What?
I am here to tell you today that Jesus wants to meet you right where you are and Jesus has a gift for you: the gift is to come drink from the well that springs up to eternal life.  The choice is simple, take and drink or walk away empty. My prayer is that you will drink deeply like the deer at the stream.

Open your bible. Read the story of the woman at the well.  Pray. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart. Let God surprise you!

My wife became a Christian 20 months before I did. For 600 days, she watched me go to the world’s wells. For 600 days, she went to the well of living water. I don’t know how many times she mustered up her courage. She walked into the family room where I was putting on my work boots and she handed me her bible. She said the same thing every time: “Here. Would you please read this? I highlighted it.  I don’t want you to read the whole book. I don’t want you to read the whole page.  Just read the sentence or two I’ve highlighted.” Each time she did this, for 600 days, 20 months, I smiled and took the book.  When she left the room, I closed the book and set it under the couch. There were days, I’m embarrassed to tell you, that I slid her bible across the room. What I did notice is that Jac was happy. She was full of joy. And the other thing I noticed, it wasn’t me that was making her so happy. Jac had joined bible studies and had everyone in town praying for me. One day she told me her bible study was hosting a couples bible study. She handed me a piece of paper with the name of the study (Romans) and the name of the teacher. The teacher was one of my former high school teachers and he was one of my favorite teachers. I decided to go and hear what he had to say; he was, after all, a really great teacher!

It took me until chapter 8 of Romans, verses 14 and 15, to understand that the wells of the world were not going to quench my thirst. Jesus met me at the well that night after bible study. It was January in Northern Illinois. It was freezing and the snow was blowing. The bible teacher had talked to our group about how we are children of God, how we can cry, “Abba, Father” to God. I couldn’t wait to get home that night. I got down on my knees and I prayed, “God, if you want to be my father, I’d like to give you a try!”

That well has never run dry. The year was 1981. Jesus met me at the well that cold, snowy night. SURPRISE, Dave!

Come meet the man who knows everything about me and still wants to be my Father. Come to the well that never runs dry.  No matter where you are, no matter what you’ve done–you are forgiven. And THAT is the BEST SURPRISE of all.

God loves you and so do I,
Pastor Dave
www.theseedchristianfellowship.com